On Wednesday February 18, 2015 at approximately 11:15 a.m. Anne Arundel County Police received a call in the area of the 700 block of Sonne Drive, Annapolis, MD to assist with a dog that had fallen through the ice on the South River in the area of the Bon Haven Community.
Corporal Gatens, Corporal Rajcsok, & Officer Kelley arrived on scene and were directed down a steep embankment to the South River. Officers located the dog’s owner, a 77 year-old-male, in chest deep water looking for his 1-year-old Labrador Retriever. Because of the extreme cold, and with hypothermia quickly able to affect the owner, officers convinced him to get out of the water. While the owner was walking through the water to the shore, he stumbled upon the dog under the water. The owner was able to grab the dog and continued toward land.
Once at the embankment the owner attempted to get the dog out of the water, but fainted and fell back into the water. Cpl. Gatens & Cpl. Rajcsok went into the water and pulled the male and the dog both from the water.
Cpl. Rajcsok, Ofc. Kelley, and Sgt. Riddle immediately began administering first aid to the dog owner to limit the risk of hypothermia setting in. The male’s wet clothing was removed and he was wrapped in dry towels. The officers then worked to get him up an extremely steep embankment to his house until the fire department arrived.
While Cpl. Rajcsok, Ofc. Kelley, & Sgt. Riddle were helping the male, Cpl. Gaten’s rendered first aid to the dog, including giving the dog CPR. Unfortunately the dog had been under the water too long. Despite Cpl. Gaten’s efforts, the dog did not survive.
The owner of the dog was transported to Anne Arundel Medical Center for exposure, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Source: AACoPD
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